Police Jury Meeting Notes: October 2, 2019

Bossier Parish Police Jury members agreed to proceed with arbitration with the federal Civilian Board of Contract Appeals over funds to help repair roads the parish claims were damaged by floods in 2015 and 2016.

FEMA had previously denied the parish’s request for money to help repair roughly $25 million in damages to asphalt roads in consecutive years of heavy flooding. Bossier Parish has been seeking relief for more than three years.

Attorney Jennifer Fiore, whose firm has been working with the parish on attempts to secure the funds, updated members of the jury’s finance committee Wednesday on FEMA activities. Included in her summary was a September 4 denial of an appeal to a previous FEMA ruling.

“We knew that was coming,” Fiore said. “We asked for an extension for time to provide them with additional evidence that we had damage caused by the 2015 flood. They fought us on it, but then gave us the additional time.”

After additional information was provided on appeal, FEMA again denied the parish’s claim.

Fiore said two options are available to the jury: the parish can request a second appeal with FEMA or take its case to an independent arbiter.

“Our recommendation is that we forego the second appeal and let’s request arbitration,” she said. “Those decisions have to be made by November 11.”

Jury members voted unanimously to accept the finance committee recommendation that Bossier Parish proceed to arbitration.

In other matters at Wednesday’s regular meeting, police jury members:

• Approved Section 8 of annual plan, presented by Director Kennith Starnes.
• Approved plat of the proposed development of Cane’s Landing subdivision, Unit No. 1, contingent on approval of certain items by parish engineer.

• Approved plats of the proposed development of Rosedale Place subdivision, Unit No. 16 and 17.
• Scheduled public hearings on Nov. 6to consider approval of the plat of the proposed development of St. Charles Court Village subdivision, Unit No. 9 and to consider adopting an ordinance creating prospective precincts by the split and/or merger of precinct geography in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 18:532 and 18:532.1.
• Granted a two-week extension on property located at 502 Wildlife Lane, Bossier City.
• Agreed to proceed to condemnation hearing on property located at 229 Princeton Lane, Princeton.
• Approved an agreement between the Bossier Parish Police Jury, Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments, Coordinating and Development Corporation, and the LSUS Red River Watershed Management Institute for the purpose of applying for grant funding and acting in support of watershed region management activities and in conjunction with the State of Louisiana Watershed Initiative.
• Adopted an ordinance to officially post certain bridge structures in Bossier Parish in connection with the Louisiana Off-System Bridge Replacement Program.
• Adopted the annual Certification of Compliance with the State of Louisiana Off-System Bridge Replacement Program.
• Approved donation of a 2007 WRGT Flatbed Trailer, VIN No. 1S9T5162471132079, to the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Department.
• Agreed to have parish engineering department study need for right turn lane on Forrest Hills Boulevard at LA Highway 80.
• Adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 122, Article III, of the Bossier Parish Code of Ordinances of Bossier Parish, “Utilities” to add Section 72 establishing the creation of the Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1 Board of Appeals.
• Adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 102, Section 1, of the Bossier Parish Code of Ordinances of Bossier Parish, “Solid Waste” to add Subsection (F) establishing guidelines for personal property abandoned due to eviction.
• Adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 58 of the Bossier Parish Code of Ordinances of Bossier Parish, “Health and Sanitation” to add Section 14 “Penalties for Non-Compliance” establishing penalties for repeat offenders of the property standards regulations.
• Discussed fiscal year 2019-2020 Local Government Assistance Program and Community Water Enrichment Fund Program applications.
• Approved of a request for a variance of parish regulations to allow a driveway to be constructed in a drainage easement located on Lot 39, Water’s Edge Cypress subdivision, Phase 2, Bossier Parish, with stipulations that (1) a notice is to be recorded in the deed records for this property that the driveway is located in a parish easement, and (2) an agreement is to be signed by the property owner stating that the Bossier Parish Police Jury will not be responsible for any damages caused by the parish to the driveway when accessing and maintaining the easement located on Lot 39, Water’s Edge Cypress Subdivision, Phase 2, Bossier Parish.

Attorney Jennifer Fiore discusses options with members of the Bossier Parish Police Jury finance committee Wednesday.